Utility Meter Wire Lead-Through Sealing for Ingress Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical devices, such as utility meters, face challenges in integrating load control devices or auxiliary equipment, leading to increased costs and installation time due to the need for bespoke designs and additional space, while wire lead-throughs create ingress paths for detrimental substances, complicating sealing and increasing technical failures.
Innovation Solution
An ingress protection assembly with wall sections forming a sealed aperture for wire passage, and a load control module integrated alongside the utility meter to reduce installation space and eliminate the need for additional sealing means, enhancing compactness and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If wire lead-throughs are provided in partition walls for auxiliary equipment, then connectivity and functionality are improved, but ingress paths for detrimental substances are created compromising sealing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs flexible sealing elements including O-rings and elastomeric membranes that conform to wire shapes and maintain seals around conductors passing through partition walls. These flexible films and shells allow wire penetration while preventing ingress of dust, moisture, and other detrimental substances through the sealed aperture.
2Productivity
If load control devices are integrated into utility meters, then installation space and time are reduced, but device complexity and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the utility meter system into modular components: the main utility meter unit and separate auxiliary equipment modules (such as load control devices). These modules can be independently manufactured and then integrated through standardized interfaces, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining installation efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs auxiliary equipment modules with universal interfaces and standardized mounting mechanisms that can be applied across different utility meter models. This multi-functionality approach allows the same module design to serve multiple purposes and be integrated into various meter types, reducing manufacturing complexity while enabling efficient installation.
3Reliability
If additional sealing means are used for wire lead-throughs, then ingress protection is improved, but manufacturing costs and assembly complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs self-sealing mechanisms where the sealing elements (such as elastomeric grommets and O-rings) automatically conform to wire shapes and create seals without requiring additional manual assembly steps or specialized sealing components. The wires themselves help compress and position the sealing elements, making the sealing process self-service and cost-effective.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary sealing components such as O-rings and flexible membranes that mediate between the wire and the partition wall. These intermediary elements provide the actual sealing function, allowing the rigid structural components to remain simple and easy to manufacture while still achieving high ingress protection.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to an ingress protection assembly (100) for leading a wire (150), such as a signal line (31) and/or a supply line (32), in a sealed-up manner through a partition wall (99) of an electrical device. Further, the invention relates to an electrical device comprising an ingress protection assembly (100). The present invention provides a wire lead-through protected against ingress in a cost-effective and efficient manner without compromising the ingress protection with regard to safety, security and/or technical requirements in that the ingress protection assembly (100) comprises a first wall section (110) provided with a receiving slot (111) extending through the first wall section (110) in a lead-through direction (B) and opening at an inlet (112, 122, 132) facing in an assembly direction (A) of the ingress protection assembly (100); and a second wall section (120) provided with a counter slot (121, 131) extending through the second wall section (120) in the lead-through direction (B) and opening at a counter inlet (112, 122, 132) facing against the assembly direction (A), wherein at least in a fully assembled state (F) of the ingress protection assembly (100), the first wall section (110) and the second wall section (120) are at least partially superimposed in a projection along the lead- through direction (B) such that the receiving slot (111) and the counter slot (121, 131) together form an aperture (160) configured for tightly encompassing the wire (150).